Pic-Nic Village, a new social network with a conscience

Are you tired of the bland catch-all nature of Facebook? Confounded by the sheer scale and volume of Twitter? Then Pic-Nic Village, a brand new social network, might be just what you’re looking for.

Wearing its new-age, alternative colours proudly on its sleeve, Pic-Nic Village aims to be “the first social networking community that targets people who are passionate about creativity, innovation, ideas generation and seeking positive solutions to everyday problems.”

This is a network with a firm, strong social ethos. It is spurning any advertising-driven support, and seeks finance through “a relatively new concept called crowd-funding through the sale of memberships. They believe “this will give everyone a greater sense of involvement both as individuals and as part of a collective. Founder Members will have a say in how Pic-Nic Village operates and the direction it takes, as well as enjoying full membership of the community.”

The concept is the brainchild of Pete Lawrence, a British social entrepreneur who was responsible for the successful Big Chill festivals that spawned a whole culture and lifestyle in the UK.

Pic-nic Village will target “people who are passionate about creativity, innovation, ideas generation and seeking positive solutions to everyday problems”. Collaboration will be a key feature of Pic-Nic Village, and members will be encouraged to share ideas, brainstorm and propose solutions and proposals to the wider community. The best ideas will be picked up by the Pic-Nic Village Foundation, which “aims to support the most original and exciting ideas with a particular emphasis on start-up ventures.”

The network, which launched on the 7th of September, is kicking off with a drive to recruit Founder members and raise UK£750 000 in start-up capital. Founder members will have a say in the policy decisions of Pic-Nic Village, and may even be elected to the Board of Directors. Founding memberships cost UK£100 for 2 years, or UK£300 for a lifetime membership. When Pic-Nic Village is up and running, regular members of the social network will pay an as-yet-undecided monthly fee for membership.

So if you are interested in “writing, blogging, photography, music, video art, design, illustration, technology, science, hiking, camping, travel, cookery, pets, politics, branding, fashion, ecology, social media, arts and crafts, festivals or people in general”, then Pic-Nic Village could be exactly the socail network that you’re looking for.

Pete Lawrence told the Guardian newspaper that “”What we are trying to do is put the heart and soul back into online music communities. People need a place where they can enthuse and discover and they are doing it for the love of it, rather than the profit factor. Music is too important to be left in the hands of the music business.”

Does this network sound appealing to you? Will a regular monthly fee be a deal-breaker for you? Let us know what you think.